It was December of 2003 and I was happy being "fat" for the first time in my life.  I was pregnant with my first child!!  Things couldn't have been better. 

Then one night while laying in bed, I felt a lump above my right breast.  I thought it was strange, but I wasn't alarmed.  I just figured I'd show it to my OBGYN at my next visit.  When I did, he also wasn't alarmed.  He explained that a pregnant's woman's breasts are constantly changing with the pregnancy and said that we would just watch it.  I took his word for it and didn't worry.  I just let it go and went along my way.

In late January, there I was laying in bed and again I felt it except this time it felt much bigger.  I could almost squeeze it between my fingers.  It felt like a small ball.  Now I was worried.  I was worried but still just thought it was a cyst or infection of some kind.  I went back to the OBGYN.  I was then sent to a breast surgeon and a radiologist where I had an ultrasound, needle core biopsy and mammogram. 

On Valentine's Day of 2003, I was diagnosed with IDC of the Right Breast.  I was simply blown away.  This didn't happen to young women.  And it certainly shouldn't be happening to me.  Everything after that became a whirlwind of phone calls and research and worry and more phone calls.  My husband and I felt lost in this sea of doctors. 

Luckily, one of my husband's coworkers happened to know a woman who had been through a similar situation (how strange the coincidence).  She was calling my phone within 2 hours of my diagnosis.  The power of caring people is unbelievable.  She talked with me and explained some things and also gave me the name of the head Breast Surgeon, Charles Cox, at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL.  Because she had ties there, I was scheduled to see him within the week. 

Together we decided that a Lumpectomy  and sentinel node biopsy was the right course of action.  I was also told that chemo and radiation would be necessary due to the size of the tumor.  My head was swimming.  How would I have surgery?  I was pregnant!  How would I have chemo?  I was pregnant!  All parties involved decided that we have the Lumpectomy under sedation and not general anethesia.  They tipped the operating table so that I wasn't laying flat on my back.  They also hooked up a monitor so that I could hear my baby's heart beat the whole time.  It kept me going.  I also heard the phone call come into the operating rooms that my nodes were negative!  The best news!

I soon went home and recuperated from my surgery.  I then met with my oncologist who was itching to get started with chemotherapy.  He told me that I could start chemo treatment while pregnant and that studies had shown it to be safe.  I on the other hand, was not okay with this.  Together with my doctors, we decided that they would induce my labor 4 weeks early so that I could start treatment and not have to expose my unborn child to chemo drugs.  We did just that.  I gave birth to my son on April 7, 2003.  He was a healthy baby and my angel. 

I took the next 2 weeks to recover from giving birth and took that time to bond with my little one.  It was a time of peace and calm before the rest of my year took its course.

I immediately started chemotherapy treatments.  I went once every three weeks.  It's amazing how you don't feel sick until they give you drugs.  I felt fine all along until they told me I had cancer and that I had to have surgery and had to take these drugs.  I went through 8 rounds of chemotherapy.  I began in April of 2003 and finished up September of 2003.  Following my chemotherapy, I completed 35 radiation treatments.  And in November I had myself a kick ass party.  I was done.  I had killed the beast.  Or so I thought...